ABBOTSFORD — It was quite a day for the Fraser Valley Cascades.
Friday began with the news that it would be stripped of two victories for playing two ineligible players in a pair of conference victories this season.
That lowered the Cascades record, with just two games remaining in the regular season, to 9-11 heading into Friday’s opening end of a home-and-home weekend regular-season finale with the 11-9 Trinity Western Spartans in Abbotsford.
Thompson Rivers, which thought it had been eliminated from the post-season last weekend, actually got renewed post-season life on Friday, as one of the forfeited wins was credited to the Kamloops-based squad, pushing its record to 8-13 in advance of its regular-season finale Saturday against UBC Okanagan.
That meant, that if the Spartans swept the Cascades, and TRU beat UBC Okanagan on Saturday, that the Cascades would have been eliminated from the playoffs because even though they were tied in the standings, TRU would win based on its sweep of the Cascades in head-to-head play.
In the end?
Fraser Valley (10-11) got 32 points and 10 rebounds from Sam Freeman in a 69-58 win over the Spartans (11-10) in Abbotsford. The victory not only allowed UFV to clinch a playoff spot, it makes Saturday’s finale between the same two teams a battle for third place in the division.
The Canada West is expected to release a statement regarding the player eligibility issue on Monday, and until then, Fraser Valley officials said they could not offer comment on the matter.
*In Vancouver, CIS No. 2 UBC has the Pacific Division clinched, but may have lost some of the luster of its No. 2 ranking following an 91-86 home court loss to the second-place Victoria Vikes, a setback which snaps UBC’s 12-game win streak.
UBC (18-3) and Victoria (15-6) wrap up the regular season facing each other on Saturday in the provincial capital. Afterwards, they will gather around their respective computer screens to see who they will host next weekend in the opening-round of playoffs. The crossover format means they will host a Prairie Division team, but which one?
Saskatchewan, Alberta, Manitoba and Winnipeg had all clinched spots. Saskatchewan had clinched first at 15-6 and will host the loser of the UFV-TWU game on Saturday, but little else was decided pending the division’s only meaningful game Saturday between Saskatchewan and Alberta (14-7). Manitoba and Winnipeg are in third and fourth, each finishing their regular seasons at 14-8.WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
The battle for the Pacific Division regular season title has come down to the 22nd and final game of the schedule.
The Fraser Valley Cascades maintained their upper hand on the UBC Thunderbirds on Friday, keeping control of a potential pennant in their own hands following a 77-66 win over the Trinity Western Spartans Friday at its Envision Athletic Centre in Abbotsford.
In Vancouver, UBC kept pace, finding a second gear to beat the visiting Victoria Vikes 64-54 at War Memorial Gymnasium.
The results keep two of the nation’s top teams locked atop the Pacific table at 17-4, however the Cascades can take the title with a win Saturday in its regular season finale in Langley against the Spartans. UBC, which clinched home court in the opening round with a win over the Vikes, can only win the division with a win Saturday night in Victoria, and an upset win by the Spartans over the Cascades.
Nicole Wierks fashioned a 17-11 double-double leading her team in respective points and rebounds.
UBC got 19 points and 11 rebounds from post Leigh Stansfield and 22 points from guard-forward Kris Young in its win over the Vikes.
“It’s really nice to know that we’re at home and we don’t have to travel next weekend,” said UBC head coach Deb Huband to gothunderbirds.ca.
Third-place Victoria (15-6) came into Friday’s game with a chance to finish second, but only with a weekend sweep of the Birds. Jess Renfrew and Debbie Yeboah each scored 17 points in the loss for Victoria.
The Vikes are currently tied with Thompson Rivers for third place at 15-6, with the WolfPack facing UBC Okanagan in its season finale on Saturday.
If both Victoria and TRU win, or both lose, and finish the regular season in a tie, it appears that according to the conference’s tiebreaking method, three levels would have to be exhausted before TRU would be declared the third place team and Victoria the fourth-place team.
In the event of a tie, the first tiebreaker is head-to-head results between the two teams. Victoria and TRU split their meetings this season.
The second, is each team’s winning percentage against exclusive Pacific Division foes this season. Again, they are tied with identical 9-4 records heading into Saturday.
So the third tie breakers, is the winning percentage against the No. 1 seed from the other (Prairie) division. Calgary sewed up that honour on Friday. This season, Calgary beat Victoria 63-58 on Dec. 1. However TRU beat Calgary 69-60 on Jan. 12.
With Calgary at No. 1 in the Prairie and Regina solid at No. 2, the fourth-place team from the Pacific will open the playoffs next weekend at Calgary, while the third-place team goes to Regina.
Fraser Valley and UBC will be hosting one of either Alberta or Saskatchewan in the opening round.WOMEN’S HOCKEY
The UBC Thunderbirds, hosting its first-ever playoff series, scored with startling efficiency, rolling to a 7-2 win and a 1-0 lead in its best-of-three opening round series with the visiting Manitoba Bisons on Friday at the Father David Bauer Arena.
UBC was outshot 28-21 on the night, but lit the lamp in prodigious fashion, including scoring its two second-period goals on its only two shots on goal.
“It was great to see the girls come out like that,” UBC goaltender Danielle Dube told gothunderbirds.com. “I’m really proud to see how this team has matured this year.”
Dube stopped 26 of 28 shots for the win as UBC built period leads of 3-1 and 5-1.
Rebecca Unrau scored a pair of goals, including the eventual game winner, while Kaylee Chanakos, Kaitlin Imai, Nicole Saxvik, Tatiana Rafter and Emily O’Neill added singles.
UBC can sweep Manitoba with a win Saturday (7 p.m.).MEN’S HOCKEY
UBC has got to play its best hockey of the season over its next two games if it has plans on advancing past the first round of the playoffs.
Brock Nixon scored two goals, the first opening the scoring with just 47 seconds left in the first period, as the Calgary Dinos took a 1-0 lead in its best-of-three series with the Birds, claiming a 3-1 victory Friday in the foothills.
“We can’t spent too much time worrying about this game,” UBC head coach Milan Dragicevic told gothunderbirds.ca. “We need to rebound quickly. This is the playoffs. We have another game tomorrow to prove that we are a good team. We have graduating players that don’t want to see their careers come to an end on Saturday night. Our guys need to realize that playing desperate hockey is what it takes in the playoffs.”WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL
Amber Brown set a Trinity Western women’s volleyball record for kills in a four-set match with 23, leading her No. 2-ranked Spartans to a 3-1 (22-25, 25-15, 25-21, 25-8) win over the visiting Calgary Dinos and a sweep of its best-of-three opening round series on Friday at the Langley Events Centre.
The victory propels the Spartans into the Canada West Final Four championship tournament beginning next week at No. 1-ranked UBC.
“I didn’t know what it was, but in the fourth set, whenever Amber touched the ball it was golden,” Spartans head coach Ryan Hofer told twu.ca. “She was outstanding overall, but especially in that fourth set.”
In Kelowna, the host Heat built a 2-0 lead but faltered enough to suffer a 3-2 (19-25, 18-25, 25-20, 25-19, 17-15) loss to the visiting Mt. Royal Cougars of Calgary. It was the Heat’s second straight five-set loss to the Cougars.
Mt. Royal swept the series to join the Birds and Spartans in Vancouver next weekend, despite playing its first season in the CIS.
*At Edmonton, the host Alberta Pandas were straight sets winners (28-26, 25-20, 25-20) over the Manitoba Bisons to take a 1-0 series lead. Alberta can complete the four-team dance card with a win on Saturday.MEN’S VOLLEYBALL
The two-time defending CIS national champion Trinity Western Spartans are off to Edmonton for next weekend’s Canada West Final Four.
After opening with a 25-22 first-set win over the Winnipeg Wesmen Friday night at the Langley Events Centre, the Spartans proceeded to trade sets the rest of the night, ultimately capping their evening with a 15-4 win the fifth set to sweep its best-of-three opening round series.
UBC and Brandon can each join the Spartans and conference champion Alberta Golden Bears at next weekend’s prelude to CIS nationals if they can win Saturday and complete series sweeps.
On Friday, Brandon won in Saskatoon, the Bobcats beating the host Saskatchewan Huskies 3-2 to open its series with a win. UBC opened Thursday, getting nine kills and 10 digs from Jarrid Ireland in a 3-1 (25-15, 23-25, 25-19, 25-16) win over the Manitoba Bisons at War Gym.

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Head of the Class 2014

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